Harvest Home
by Daidairo
Summary: Oneshot. Where exactly did Sheba belong? She wasn't born in Lalivero, where she was treated like a Child of the Gods. Vale wasn't hers either. Should she leave? But someone else wants her to stay... Lighthouseshipping


Finally, I'm posting a GS fanfic which ISN'T an AU. Based sorely on the relationship of Lighthouseshipping, also known as Felix/Sheba, this is written with the idea of medieval farming in mind.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Daidairo doesn't own the GS cast. Nor does she own the credits for the information about harvesting, haymaking and so on. She does own the kitten, and would be delighted to hear others laugh at its name.

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Harvest Home

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The year had been hard, and much effort had gone into rebuilding Vale as well as making it a prosperous village again. But to the many villages, the new and beautiful Vale was worth every bit of energy that was put in. Vault had been very sympathetic, and provided shelter for the Valeans before the village was rebuilt, as well as resources and manpower for the reconstruction of the different buildings. Going through thick and thin had pulled everyone closer, so that the villagers were like one big, happy family.

Especially eight special young adepts. They had been through a lot more than anyone could imagine, and the bonds formed between them were unbreakable. Everyone belonged together.

But she felt differently. To her, she had never really belonged. She had no idea where she was born. Lalivero had taken her in because they thought she was a Child of the Gods, that she was 'special'; but she was never really one of them. Tolbi had held her against her will. Travelling all over Weyard with different people... In the end, she had never truly found a place to call home.

Now that she was done helping with the rebuilding of Vale, where would she go?

"Sheba!"

The girl looked up, distracted momentarily from the thoughts that had been haunting her more and more frequently each day.

Jenna waved a sickle. "We're going to reap the remaining corn! Aren't you coming?"

Sheba ran towards the small cart that held a few of the young Valeans. She had not grown much in the past year, and still stood shorter than Jenna. Both girls were dressed in simple, comfortable clothing, for the need for armour was long gone. The other villagers greeted Sheba as she climbed in, and the cart was drawn off by a dapple grey horse.

It was summer, and the newly developed cornfields had quickly become ready for harvesting. Everyone in Vale had worked together to grow the corn, and just about as many were going to reap it. It didn't matter exactly whose fields they were, or who keeps the profits; in Vale, it was share and share alike.

Everyone had started reaping the corn on the previous day, and only half of the fields was still corn-filled.

"Piers, Mia and Ivan are helping with the hay," Jenna announced. "Garet and the others are already in the cornfields."

"Don't you mean, 'Isaac and the others'?" Sheba asked automatically, remembering an old argument.

Jenna shot her an embarrassed look. "Sheba! I. Don't. Like. Him. In. That. Way. All right?" she hissed. She clicked to the horse, turning them towards a small lane. "At least, not anymore..."

The wind adept's ears pricked up at the last whisper, spoken softly and meant for Jenna's own ears.

"Jennaaaaa... is there something you're not telling me?" Sheba grinned, putting one arm around Jenna's shoulder and shaking it lightly. The cart stopped abruptly as Jenna leapt down, red faced. Chattering, the other villagers climbed off and unloading the reaping tools.

"We've arrived," Jenna said, changing the subject. Picking up a long sythe, she headed towards the other reapers, who were already at work in the cornfield. Long, golden stalks of corn filled the entire area, and Jenna soon disappeared among them.

Sheba took a sickle from the cart and started off as well. The first person she saw between the ears of corn was Isaac. Two years of travel, adventure and work had turned him into a strong young man; that, with his naturally excellent looks and his friendly nature, made Isaac the current 'best catch', and many girls from Vale often fell over each other to get near him. The tales of him having saved Weyard also added points to his popularity. Even females in Vault flashed their best smiles at him, hoping to win his favour.

To Sheba, Isaac was only a very good friend; trustworthy, reliable, and always willing to help. Just like he had been when they had first met, when Isaac had tried his best to rescue her from Saturos and Menardi, even though he barely knew her.

"Good morning, Sheba," Isaac greeted, lowering his sythe and placing several ears of cut corn in a half-filled basket.

"Morning! Seen Jenna?" Sheba asked. Isaac pointed with his sythe.

"She raced past me with a quick 'mornin', Venus!' and went off in high spirits as usual," he replied, chuckling. "She's over there with Felix."

Sheba felt a sudden jolt in her stomach. She smiled at Isaac and started towards the direction he pointed, waving her sickle.

"See you later!" Isaac called.

Other Valeans waved at her as she passed, and Sheba waved back politely, though she did not stop again. She finally reached a corner of the field where five other reapers, nearly fully hidden by the crops, were working, and Jenna waved her to a side.

"You work on that area!" she instructed bossily. The ears of corn behind her parted as a gloved hand thrust out, holding a basket. Sheba looked up, and as her green eyes met dark brown ones, she was aware of a comfortable, warm feeling cruising through her body to her feet from the top of her head.

"Morning, Felix," she greeted, taking the basket. The dark head nodded, and retreated through the corn back to work. Jenna raised her left eyebrow. Sheba raised her right.

"Friendly as usual, are we?" both girls chorused. They burst into hastily muffled giggles; both knew that the subject of their laughter wouldn't exactly be delighted to hear them laugh at him. Both also knew that he didn't mean to be unsociable; he was just being too serious about work first, play later.

Sheba took hold of several ears of corn with her left hand. The sickle, held by her right hand, sliced the corn neatly from the bottom. Her arms were still not strong enough to handle a large sythe properly. She placed the cut corn into her basket.

Which made her think about him again. Peering through the corn, she observed him.

Through the year, his ponytail had grown even longer, and now hung down his back like a rope. Tales of how he had realised how the unleashing of Alchemy would save Weyard, and for the sake of that 'endured the pain of being on the opposite side as his friends' had been told by many storytellers and singers. His bravery and heroism had attracted many admirers, but Felix wasn't Isaac. The cold demeanor awed many and frightened more. But Sheba knew that underneath all that beat a kind and honest heart, and the calm, collected outlook was all the more alluring...

Sternly, Sheba told herself to pay attention to the job at hand. She turned to keep Felix out of her line of sight, and continued her work.

What if Felix was out of sight for good? Wouldn't it happen when she left Vale?

Sheba shut her ears to her thoughts and concentrated on reaping corn.

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"It's one of them!"

"Which one?"

"The blond one, over there!"

"But she's so young!"

"That's why it's amazing, don't you think?"

The whispers turned Sheba's head, and her eyes met several awed, admiring ones that lowered after a split second. The children knew her tale, and because of it, thought of her as a person in another league. Sheba wasn't one of them.

She gathered the last bit of corn that lay in her basket, and bound it into a sheaf with deft fingers. Then she placed it against another lifter's sheaf, balancing the two with seven other pairs.

Straightening, Sheba looked around the fields. There were no more ears of corn that danced in the wind like the sea. Instead, neat rows of shocks lay still and quiet in the evening sun. 

"Okay, everyone! We're done with everything for now! Let's call it a day!" Jenna's loud, clear voice carried through the air over the fields. "We've all done excellently today, so let's return and have an extra good dinner to reward ourselves! We've arranged to have dinner in the village square, and everyone is invited to join in!"

Sheba grinned. Leader of domestic affairs, as usual. No doubt, she would one day be the suitable wife of some leader...

Her eyes widened. Why had she never thought of it that way? And Jenna's comments in the morning...

Given the chance, she would poke Jenna for answers. For now, it's time for dinner.

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"How did you guys manage? Sheba asked. Balancing a wooden bowl in one hand and a small tortoiseshell kitten in the other, Ivan carefully sat down before placing the kitten on his lap.

"All the hay is in stacks, neatly thatched," Ivan replied. His kitten-free hand spooned up a spoonful of broth and stuck it into his mouth. Though still childlike in his face, a growth spurt had made Ivan just about as tall as Jenna. Sheba was teased mercilessly by Garet for being the only remaining midget of their little group.

"We're done putting the corn in shocks," Sheba said, eating her own dinner and savouring the taste happily. "It's been tiring."

"Aw, it can't get any worse than fighting manticores," Ivan said, tipping his bowl so that drops of soup fell into the kitten's mouth. "Besides, the villagers are all looking forward to harvest home, so today's work is all worth it."

"Harvest home?" Sheba quizzed, cocking her head to one side.

"The Valeans mentioned it. Harvest home is the event or day when the harvest, especially the main grain crop, is brought home, and all the work is done. Apparently, it's considered a fun and happy event," Ivan explained, fondling the kitten. It was one of the offspring of a stray cat in Vault, and Ivan had stopped a shepherd from drowning it in a rain barrel. The kitten had stayed with Ivan ever since, and loved Zephyr to bits. Ivan named him Saturos for no reason.

"I see." Sheba emptied her bowl with a gulp. Glancing over at Ivan's empty bowl, she dumped her own on top of it. "Thank you!"

"Hey!" Ivan tried to throw the bowl back, but Sheba caught up Saturos in her arms.

"I'll _look after_ Saturos for you!" she called, leaping back out of reach. "You go wash the bowls!"

Ivan pouted and raced after her. The two youngsters ran all around the square, attracting smiles to their childish frolicking until Ivan finally caught Sheba against a wooden fence. He pinned her arms firmly to her back and held her against the wood as he took Saturos from her. The kitten ran up Ivan's neck and dug its claws in. Sheba collapsed on the ground in laughter as Ivan tried to balance the two bowls on her head.

"I washed the bowls last night! It's your turn!" Ivan protested, giggling.

Both Jupiter adepts laughed again, chuckling so hard that they failed to notice someone else loom over them until Saturos mewed.

Ivan looked up. "Oh, hey, Felix."

Felix twitched an eyebrow. "Those bowls need to be washed. Shouldn't you two be taking responsibility?"

Sheba nodded guiltily, taking up the bowls. All right, so maybe she _was_ acting like an irresponsible child at that moment.

"Aw, come on, Felix. We were just going to do it," Ivan said. "You know we can be trusted."

Felix made no reply. He took the bowls from Sheba. "Go and see if you can help out somewhere else."

"Felix, you're no fun," Ivan complained. He stared at the Earth adept, and light dawned on him suddenly. "Or is it because you're... jealous?"

Again, there was no reply. Sheba stared at Ivan in bewilderment as Felix walked off.

"Let's go help out somewhere," she said when Ivan offered no explanation for his curious words. Jokingly, she added, "Or Felix will bite our heads off." Inside, she felt puzzled. Felix usually didn't mind the others playing. What had come over him today?

"Oh, he'll be fine," Ivan assured her. "He just wanted to interrupt things."

"Huh?"

"No, it's nothing."

Ivan went to find Isaac, whistling cheerily. Sheba stared after him.

"He's gaining abnormality with height," she muttered.

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Sheba's dismal thoughts came back to fill her head when she was freed from other thoughts.

She liked Vale. It was a peaceful village that had quickly become prosperous through the honest, hard work of everyone. Her friends were there, too.

Would Mia return to Imil? Would Ivan go to find Master Hamma, and stay in Contigo? Would Piers go back to Lemuria? _Could_ he go back?

The rest would, no doubt, remain in their hometown. Isaac, Garet, Jenna and Felix...

Sheba knew, deep in her heart, that she didn't want to leave Felix. She had gotten used to having him around ever since Saturos and Menardi had kidnapped her. When she was beside him, he often infuriated her with his anti-social acts and his quietness. Yet she missed him and his silence when he was not around. Contrary to what some people might think, Felix actually spoke up quite a lot when the need to speak came, and that serious, cool expression was only a mask.

Sheba didn't want to lose him.

She got out of bed and tied a long brown travelling cloak over her violet nightrobe, drawing the hood over her head. Throwing a look at the sleeping figure curled up in a bed next to her own, she tiptoed out of the inn room that she was sharing with Mia.

The streets were empty and deserted, as every Valean slept early and rose at the crack of dawn. Even the Jupiter djinn were sleeping quietly inside Sheba as her feet pattered through the village.

Stopping at one small cottage, she placed both hands on the fence and peered through one open window. The moonlight did not shine in that direction, and Sheba could only make out one figure huddled on a bed in the darkness...

Something covered her mouth with a strong grasp, and Sheba was pulled roughly backward until she was standing in front of her captor under a tree. The hand moved to hold one shoulder as another hand, with a dagger gripped in it, pressed the small blade against her jugular.

"Who are you and what are you after?" the person hissed. In the low voice that Sheba knew so well.

"Felix?"

The blade fell as Felix turned her around and removed her hood, looking stunned.

"Sheba! What are you doing out here at this hour?" he demanded.

"I... well, I couldn't sleep," Sheba replied. Hastily, she changed the subject as she willed her cheeks to remain pale rather than turn red. "What about you? Why weren't you sleeping?"

Felix released her and leaned back against the tree. "I've gotten too used to sleeping outside in the open sky, so I sleep on the roof whenever I feel restless."

Sheba nodded understandingly. She often felt cooped up in an inn as well; Kraden was the only one who preferred a bed to a haystack, whereas Jenna and Piers could sleep anywhere.

"Me too."

"Is that why you're out?" Felix questioned.

"Um, yeah. Because... I couldn't get to sleep, so I wandered here," Sheba rambled. Thankfully, Felix seemed to accept it.

"Want to go on the roof? It's thatched with hay."

So a few moments later, both adepts were lying on their backs on the slant of the roof of the cottage. 

"It's been really busy, hasn't it?" Sheba said, breaking the silence. It was true; the group had barely had time to get together for long talks.

"Yeah. But everything will end tomorrow." Felix put both arms behind his head.

Sheba fell silent. Everything will end tomorrow? In other words, once the harvest was in... Vale wouldn't need external help like her.

Would she return to Lalivero? To Faran?

"It's harvest home tomorrow after all."

Harvest home... someone else's. For Vale wasn't her home.

"Sheba?" Felix was staring at her.

"Huh?"

"You're unusually quiet. Is something the matter?" Felix asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Um, no. I'm fine..." Sheba stammered. Felix frowned. He laid back down without a word.

_And now he's mad at me..._ Sheba turned her back to him and placed her hand under one cheek._ I really don't belong here... do I?  
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"Enough piling for now! Kyle! Move it to the rickyard!"

Sheba harnessed two horses to the wagon. Tightening the bridle until it fit, she stroked the horses and led them forward.

"Sheba! Sit up here!" Kyle called from the front of the wagon. Sheba ran back and jumped up on the slow cart. The two bay mares plodded patiently on with the large stack of corn behind.

A gentle breeze rustled the corn, and birds sang brightly around them. Buttercups nodded in a nearby field. Sheba felt happy and peaceful as she leaned back against the cornstack.

"Fun, wasn't it?" Kyle said cheerily.

Sheba laughed. "If I could use a pitchfork, my arms would disagree! Since all I do is look after the horses, it's fun all right!"

Kyle grinned. "Well, part of the fun is in doing things together!"

"Together?"

"You see, especially on a farm, harvest home is the time where everyone, including dairy maids and milk rounders, work together to bring the harvest in before monsoon rains come. The feeling of closeness when everyone does the same thing together... that makes it seem like we're one family," Kyle explained. "That we all belong to one home. That's another meaning of the phrase 'harvest home'."

"Together... family... home...?" Sheba lowered her head.

They reached the rickyard.

"Kyle! Bring the wagon in!"

As soon as the wagon was brought in, Kyle stopped to unload the stack of corn. Sheba unharnessed the horses and brought them back to the fields. A second wagon was ready with sheaves, and she harnessed the horses carefully to it. This time, Piers accompanied her back to the rickyard.

"You seem to be little quiet, Sheba," Piers observed. "Is something the matter?"

Piers and Felix were very alike. Both were sensitive to her feelings, and sometimes it was as if _they_ were the psychics, not her.

"Are you returning to Lemuria?" Sheba blurted suddenly. "After today, I mean. When the work is all done."

Piers blinked at her. Then he shook his head lightly.

"Sheba, I'm certain that Conservato has made sure that I would never be allowed back in Lemuria," he said softly. "He is too narrow-minded about unleashing Alchemy upon the world."

"You think... King Hydros would really allow him to banish you?" Sheba asked.

"If King Hydros only acted upon his own will, the Lemurians wouldn't respect him," Piers replied. He smiled. "Besides, even if I was allowed back in Lemuria, I think I'd still stay here."

"But... why? Lemuria is where you came from, isn't it?" Sheba said. "That's where you belong. Not here... you're not a Valean."

"Yes, so?"

"Don't you ever feel like... you don't belong?" Sheba turned away and stared between one horse's ear. "That this place isn't where you're meant to be... that you're not one of the villagers here..."

"Fate takes us everywhere, Sheba. There is no place where a person is 'meant to be'," Piers said. "It all depends on the person himself. I like Vale. You must admit this is a wonderful village." As Sheba nodded, he continued, "Besides, all my best friends are here, and I'd like to stay. Though I'm not born here, as long as I feel happy here, this is where I'll stay."

"But... if people don't want you around..."

"That's what others are thinking. Maybe there are people around who think I shouldn't be staying here, because I don't belong, but as long as my friends want me to stay, I'll be contented with that," Piers said. He reined the horses in as they reached the rickyard.

Sheba watched him unload the wagon. "As long as... my friends want me to stay...?"

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It was the last cartload of corn. Jenna climbed to the top of the load, and waved Sheba up. Grinning slightly, the Jupiter adept climbed up swiftly and sat herself down.

"Wasn't that fun?" Jenna said, smiling happily. "My arms are aching with throwing the corn!"

"And pain is sooo fun!" Sheba retorted sarcastically, poking her sore arm. Jenna kicked her lightly.

"Aw, you know what I mean. Having everyone work together and all!"

Both girls sat up. The fields lay around them as they looked around, high up on the corn stack. The fields were quiet and empty, and in the distance, haystacks and cornstacks shone golden in the setting sun.

"I'll go down and ride!" Jenna said, hopping off the stack. Sheba looked down in front, and smiled as she saw who was below with the horses. No wonder Jenna wanted to go down.

Leaning back, she looked into the distance at the village of Vale.

She loved Vale.

And there was something else she loved...

"Sheba."

Surprised, she turned. Felix had climbed up on the stack from behind her. He sat down.

"Is... something the matter?" she questioned. Felix stared back at her.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked.

"I... well..." Sheba looked away. "I... should I be staying here...? I mean... I'm not a Valean, and yet..."

"You've helped in rebuilding Vale," Felix interrupted. "That makes you a pioneer."

Sheba blinked. She hadn't thought of it that way.

"You put in work for everyone, Sheba. You've helped us together. That makes you one of us, regardless of whether or not you were born here," Felix said. "You're someone who made this harvest home possible." Hesitating, he took her hands in his. "We're bringing the harvest home. Our home. You belong in Vale now."

Sheba stared at him.

Then she laughed.

"Wha..."

"Felix, are you all right? It's so unlike you!" Sheba said between peals of laughter. Felix's lips twitched.

Piers must have told him that she was worried about something. Felix, who knew her best, figured it out. And so he was trying to comfort her.

_How sweet... _"Felix?" Sheba said, holding on to his ungloved hand. It was the first time he had his brown gloves off, and Sheba could feel the scars of calluses on it. "Do you want me to stay?"

"I do." Came the reply.

Sheba smiled and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"A-ack! Sheba! Watch out, we're going to fall off!"

Soft promises were exhanged before they fell.

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The harvest was finally in safely, and everyone was tired but contented.

"Harvest home," Sheba said happily. "The nicest day of the year!"

Beside her, Felix smiled. He squeezed the hand held in his.

"The best."

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Well, finally finished! And in time before I go!

Here's a note to everyone, especially for those who follow my other fanfics closely. I will be going to Prague, Czech Republic from tomorrow onwards, and will be back on the 13th. My choir's going for competition, so here's wishing us luck for the Gold Award!

So of course, I wouldn't be able to update until then. I'll try to write Creature Changers while I'm away, and update as soon as I return!

Until next time!

Daidairo


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